What about after we take our seats?

First and foremost, relax! It’s time to let go of the stresses and strains of the day and reward yourself. Some people like to take the minutes before a performance to share an intimate conversation with their seatmate. Others prefer to look over the program book, read the synopsis or articles designed to enhance the opera-going experience, or find out how many intermissions they can expect. Please don’t forget to turn off your cellphone, and if you plan to have a lozenge or hard candy handy to soothe a ticklish throat, now’s the time to fish it out of your pocket or purse and unwrap it.